Transgender denied access to women’s restroom

KGW: A transgender customer who identifies herself as a woman says she he is being discriminated against by some Hazel Dell (Washington) area bars because they won’t let her him use the women’s room.

Norma Ballhorn recently changed her his name from Norman, and is taking hormone therapy medications. But anatomically, Ballhorn remains a man.

The retired steelworker has filed a complaint with the Washington State Human Rights Commission, against Legends Food and Fun, and is considering filing complaints against two other establishments. “What they’re doing, by me not being able to use the ladies room, is discriminating against me,” said Ballhorn.

At Legends, server Sabrina Brenneise said they have no problem with Ballhorn’s transgender identity. “It’s the fact that she’s still a boy and she wants to go in the woman’s restroom and use the woman’s room with the stall opened, with her skirt hiked up and standing up, like a guy would, and that makes it kind of an issue,” Brenneise said.

Brenneise said Ballhorn became aggressively upset when told not to use the women’s room. Ballhorn denied standing up while using the restroom and of becoming aggressive, and said she he even tried to comply. “But I was not comfortable going into the men’s room because I don’t trust some of these guys in the bars, they get to drinking — they might think I look good and want to try something,” said Ballhorn.

An analyst with the Human Rights Commission said there is no specific state law regarding transgender individuals and restroom use, but the commission will look at broader freedom from discrimination laws as it investigates the case. Investigations can take from four months to a year to complete.

I worked at a place where a man (dressed as a man yet wearing makeup) used the women’s restroom – standing and facing the toilet. I can say that as a woman I don’t want a penis in a public women’s restroom. And I’m pretty sure moms with young girls don’t want men in there either. If a man is allowed to enter women’s restrooms dressed as women, how can we prevent pervs from dressing up as women to get their jollies?

I agree with DCG. I would not want an adult male with a penis using a restroom for ladies. We have a separation for ladies and for men for a reason, as LTG pointed out at the end of her post. Really, it is that simple. Thank you LTG for bringing this to our attention.